by Randy Lander

SLOW NEWS DAY #5 Highly Recommended (10/10) Slave Labor Graphics Writer/Artist: Andi Watson Price: $3.50 US Over the last couple of issues, Slow News Day has shifted its focus, paying less attention to the wider issues of journalism and the cultural divide that separates the two main characters, and more to the relationships those characters have with each other and with other players in the story. As a result, the story has gone off in directions I didn't really expect, and I'm not sure how everything will play out at the end, although I'm as anxious to find out as I ever was. This particular issue features a nice echo of our initial meeting of Katharine and Owen in the first issue. While early on their banter was marked by cultural differences and a mutual wariness, their back and forth on the way to Katharine's flight is marked by an openness born of working together and shared experiences at Wheatstone. There's no less acrimony, of course, partly due to Owen's personality and partly due to his justifiable anger at Katharine, but there's warmth and a personal connection beneath it all. As I mentioned in my previous reviews, one of the things that strikes me about Slow News Day is how realistic the relationships are. In any straight Hollywood movie, Katharine and Owen would have fallen into each other's arms by now, or at least it would have been very clear to the reader that they were meant to be together. I'm still not sure, to be honest, because Watson has fleshed out believable characters in Brett, Katharine's boyfriend, and Nicole, Owen's girlfriend, as well as believable relationships with them. Each character has their own lives, their own goals and motivations, and they are all fully realized, making for a realistically messy jumble of emotions and relationships. Part of the enjoyment I've gotten from Slow News Day has been in the little details. The early issues featured some interesting comparisons of British and American culture. Later issues gave us some insight into the work of a small town reporter. This issue features a back-and-forth between Katharine and Owen about TV writing versus journalism that could just as easily be applied to an argument about small press versus mainstream comics, and it's a fascinating read. Of course, Slow News Day features the deceptively simple but wonderfully expressive artwork that is Andi Watson's trademark, with a particularly stunning last page reveal of Los Angeles or an effective moment where Katharine gets her picture taken in England on her way out. When this book first came out, I predicted it would wind up as one of my favorite stories, just as Breakfast After Noon did, and Watson has proved me right. I can't wait to read the conclusion. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.